Business runs on numbers. Sales numbers. Revenue numbers. Expenses. Payroll.
At Crete Carrier Corporation, some of the most impressive numbers are the safety numbers. Our CSA scores are consistently among the best in the industry. But it’s the safety award figures that really jump out. Crete Carrier and Shaffer Trucking have two categories of safety awards.
- 1) Annual Safe Driving Award – Drivers who complete at least 100,000 miles with Crete/Shaffer in a year without a preventable accident.
- 2) Million Mile Safe Driving Award – Drivers who reach one million miles without a preventable accident. Additional awards are presented as drivers reach the next million plateau. This award is given through the American Trucking Associations.
Last year, 2,659 Crete Carrier and Shaffer Trucking drivers earned Annual Safe Driving Awards, more than half of all drivers. Million Mile Safe Driving Awards were earned by 100 drivers. In total, 720 active drivers held Million Mile Safe Driving Awards in 2022.
“Almost 15% of the fleet has at least a million-mile driving award. That reflects decades of safe driving and retention with Crete. We just have some really awesome drivers out on the roadway,” said Vice President of Safety Matt DiVito.
Drivers earn those awards by focusing on all the little (and big!) things to stay safe when they’re behind the wheel.
“I think it’s the culture we have at Crete,” said DiVito. “We’re a great company. We hire the best drivers in the industry. We hire safe drivers who have a demonstrated record of good driving before they come here. And then our culture of safety, once they’re inside the company, just helps drive that performance. And they stay with us and rack up the safe driving miles to win those awards.”
And that culture extends beyond the safety department. “Safety First and Foremost” is Crete Carrier Corporation’s first company principle.
“If you’re talking to the operations department, we’re dispatching you on a load knowing that you can legally and safely deliver that load. And if something comes up along the way to impact that, you can communicate that to operations and they’ll either reschedule that load for you or find another driver to repower it if we need to, because we never want a driver to be operating the equipment unsafely on the roadway,” said DiVito.
“Almost 15% of the fleet has at least a million-mile driving award. That reflects decades of safe driving and retention with Crete. We just have some really awesome drivers out on the roadway.”
Crete Carrier Corporation Vice President of Safety Matt DiVito
Bill and Francine Fisher with their 10 Years of Safe Driving rings.
A close-up shot of Bill and Francine’s Safe Driving rings.
“A Ring of Honor” – Drivers show off their Safe Driving rings at the 2022 Annual Safety Meeting.
Crete Carrier Vice President of Safety Matt DiVito presents John Bazier with his 7 Year Safe Driving certificate.
Dan Holcomb displays his ATA Million Mile Safety commemorative plaque, pin, and patches.
Mechanicsburg, PA Terminal Manager Willie Hawkins, Jr. presents Victor Wereski with his ATA Million Mile Safety Award plaque.
Cheyenne, WY Terminal Manager Jael Ybarra poses with Warren Hartmann and his 10 Years of Safe Driving ring.
Crete Carrier Vice President of Safety Matt DiVito presents Rocky Dashek with his 10 Year Safe Driving certificate.
Crete Carrier CEO Tonn Ostergard and Shaffer Trucking President Erick Kutter share a photo with Eric Whiting and his 10 Years of Safe Driving ring.